Electronic modules, such as switching and routing modules, are typically housed in cabinets in a vertically stacked configuration. Numerous cables are routed into the cabinet. Once inside the cabinet, these cables must be routed to the various electronic modules housed within the cabinet. There are typically several cables connected to each of the electronic modules.
Raceways or cable troughs have been used to route cables to the various electronic modules housed within the cabinet. Typically, these cable troughs only have two openings, one at each end, and are vertically oriented within the cabinet. The disadvantage of this arrangement is that there is no way to gain access to the inside of the trough to arrange the cables in an orderly fashion. Moreover, these troughs do not allow cables to be inserted at various points along the length of the trough. As a result, the cables associated with a particular electronic module cannot be routed directly into the side of the trough. This may result in a cluttered cabinet which may make it difficult for a technician to access the various electronic modules within the cabinet.
Attempts have been made to provide a cable trough that allows access to cables along the length of the trough. For example, plastic troughs having spiral bound type ribs along their length may allow a user to open a front side of the cable trough to access the cables within the trough. However, these troughs have been found to be inadequate for several reasons. One reason is the difficulty in opening and closing the cable trough due to the spiral bound mating configuration of the ribs. Also, when multiple cables are routed within the trough, the spiral bound structure may prove to be inadequate to hold the cables within the trough. Moreover, when attempts are made to route several cables which are bundled together through the side of the trough, the small distance between the ribs may be inadequate to allow for the passage of the cables. Furthermore, plastic cable troughs do not aid in shielding electromagnetic emissions produced by the cables in the trough and other equipment inside the cabinet. Finally, plastic troughs cannot be electrically grounded to the cabinet to prevent electrical shock.
Accordingly, it would be desirable to have a cable management apparatus that overcomes the disadvantages described above, and to provide a simple and cost effective cable management apparatus.